In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has affirmed that divorced women have the legal right to receive their late father’s pension, striking down a discriminatory circular issued by the Sindh government.
Authored by Justice Ayesha Malik, the 10-page verdict unequivocally declared the 2022 Sindh government circular as “discriminatory and unconstitutional.” The court emphasized that pensions are not privileges but legal rights extended to the families of deceased government employees.
The ruling came in the case of Fatima, a divorced woman whose pension had been reinstated by the Sindh High Court, a decision challenged by the provincial government in the Supreme Court. The Sindh government had argued that only unmarried daughters were eligible for such benefits.
Justice Malik’s verdict firmly rejected this claim, asserting that denying a government employee’s daughter pension based on her marital status directly violated several constitutional provisions, including the right to dignity and equality. She further expressed concern over Pakistan’s low global ranking in gender equality, advocating for stronger efforts to protect women’s legal and economic rights.
This significant ruling is expected to set a precedent for similar cases across the country and has been widely praised by human rights activists and legal experts as a progressive step towards gender equality in Pakistan.
